Architectural Challenges of any DMS

A Document Management System (DMS) is a software solution that helps businesses store, manage, track and sure digital documents and files. The primary purpose of a DMS is to streamline document-heavy processes, improve efficiency and ensure easy access to information across the organization.

Though a major issue with a typical DMS is that they are developed for documents and not users.

A locked filling cabinet

Originally, document Management Systems were created to digitalize manual paper-based processes, where creating/uploading, indexing, processing, searching, and storing would become easier. But what it did was to create digital filling cabinets locked for everyone except knowledgeable IT-personal or management with full access. Ordinary personnel required extensive training, and repetitive training, to manage the DMS at the same level as their IT department. Which resulted in mistakes and errors being raised daily due to non-user-friendly systems.

What would save the organization time and money thanks to the digitalization of paper processes, ended up costing them more in time spent supporting and aiding personnel. When documents became lost in a structure, named incorrectly, shared publicly by mistake etc., IT had to go in and mend these issues.

So, what did DMS suppliers think would solve these problems?

Adding complexity

DMS suppliers started adding functionality which allowed the organization to control the structuring and processing of documents, user access and notifications on their own. Which seemed like a workable solution, but also quickly came with its own challenges.

• Document structures needed to be agreed upon by management beforehand and could not be changed without moving/migrating documents.

  • Which resulted in large projects.

• It was hard to model the DMS after each business. Instead of fulfilling the requirements of the business, the business needed to bend to the requirements of the DMS.

• The document workflows were complex to set up and required knowledgeable IT personnel.

• Notifications were sent out per workflow/process, and not per required user/group of users. Which would overload the users involved with the document/processes in any way with notifications to their email.

• The DMS still focused on the documents itself, and not the users of the system which provided a poor user-experience.

  • For example: workflows execute “in the dark.” With no other information about the progress than through notifications.

As DMS developers went back to the drawing board, businesses continued to rely on the system they now started using as it would cost them more to switch or move away from them. But what about today’s modern DMS?

Cross-functional/integrated systems

Most document management systems today are cross-functional/integrated, which means that they include features from stand-alone solutions and/or can integrate with solutions already in place to minimize the amount of software required by a business. They often provide additional features (besides the standard document management features) such as:

• Built-in security for sharing / collaborations

• Electronic signatures

• Content management

• An intranet

• Seamless software integration

• Reporting

If these additions solve the issues described previously is not apparent, but businesses do tend to choose a system offering more than its original thanks to the savings if they switch software at all.

So, what would be an acceptable solution for both IT, Management, and casual business users?

The perfect combination

All the features and functionality previously described must be a part of a DMS to perform as you would expect, but the focus needs to shift from documents to users.

As it is users who work with the documents they need to see where they exist, what is happening to them and be able to collaborate and share documents with the required people to perform their work. That is why the perfect combination for a modern DMS is one with:

• DMS features and functionality.

  • The DMS will allow for storing, sharing and security of the documents.

• Content Management System (CMS) features and functionality for information / guidance.

  • The CMS will provide information for tasks, departments, or groups of users to create a fulfilling user-experience and understanding of the business.

• Business Process Management (BPM) features and functionality for process insight and inclusion.

  • The BPM will provide capabilities to easily manage processes (create/update/change) in the DMS to make it follow the requirements of the business, and not the other way around.

This combination will allow for all departments within an organization to collaborate without hindrance, replace multiple stand-alone software solutions needed otherwise, and provide a more inclusive user experience.

One example of this is BIP 365, a modern DMS with seamless Microsoft 365 integration. To learn more about BIP 365 and how Borgent supports your business to success, contact us today.